Thanks. Can you keep us posted here on whether this is something you will pursue in the short term? I really love the extra clarity that full pop provides (such as in the whites of people eyes etc) but not at the expense of darkening the highlights in the image (darker than both Darbee off and HD mode). So I am often torn as to how to watch. If a slider or increments setting is too involved to implement in the short term, a new setting that is half way between HD and POP would be a great compromise.
Also if you are looking for product suggestions - it would be great if you could add presets that stored the mode (HD vs GAME vs POP) and the %. For example Preset 1 = HD 43%, Preset 2 = HD 33%, Preset 3 = POP 40% etc. Many of us are finding that we prefer different Darbee settings for different content. So this would make it easier to jump to our favorite settings for the source.

Your suggestion for preset that can be different for each mode is one offered by others and on our to do list.

Enjoying this little device connected to an Epson 6010 here. Some handshake issues displaying 3D with my kinivo switch, so working that out. I like the idea of future units having the slider for increments between, HD/POP and the idea of presets for each mode. I have to say the on/off button on the remote is getting a workout on mine, hope the remote buttons don't fall off. LOL So far at 49 POP for normal/sports seems good to me, but might be to much for bluray. I did like that level on the Hubble 3D movie. Need to watch some more discs.

I like to use your site for keeping me up to date on especially Display's.
I'm afraid my experiences with the 'What Hi Fi Sound and Vision' magazine are that they may be influenced commercially when reviewing equipment.

I was reading about using the Darblet with an HP screen and laughing out loud. Surely I thought the Darbee would look great on a DIY screen painted on a cow's side. Then I thought let's get serious and consider not screen gain which is by itself not relevant to really anything but to the ft lamberts one is using the Darblet at. The higher the ft lamberts the more one would need the Darbee to enhance the contrast. Let's say to help the raised black ref value. The I thought how would a gray screen affect ones need for a Darblet and how would the Darblet's settings need to be changed. If only the HP fans here had HC High Powers instead of the regular High Powers they own. Maybe that would be nirvania.

If only some screen company could perfect a true pure black screen with a gain of 2.8 (compared to a gain of 2.8, a gain of 2.4 just sucks). I would need a half gain angle of at least 13.27 degrees.

I tried connecting the Darbee IR extender port to my URC MRF-260 RF Base station (using a mono cable) but it did not work so I ended up using an IR emitter stuck to the outside of the case.

I have put my Darbee in the mail so it can get upgraded to resolve the Lumagen bug. I expect it will take at least a week to get it back. Hopefully Bill has good news for us Lumagen owners later today.....

Good point. Many of us will need an IR extender one we tuck our Darbee away. Is anyone using an extender with their unit? Do we know specifically what extenders will work with it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by praz

I had posted previously about the extender and a compatibility list would be helpful. I have tried several and none of them work with the Darblet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geof

I tried connecting the Darbee IR extender port to my URC MRF-260 RF Base station (using a mono cable) but it did not work so I ended up using an IR emitter stuck to the outside of the case.
I have put my Darbee in the mail so it can get upgraded to resolve the Lumagen bug. I expect it will take at least a week to get it back. Hopefully Bill has good news for us Lumagen owners later today.....

I will detail my experience using the 3.5mm IR input port on the Darblet. I have a Niles Audio MSU480 Multi-room IR Wireless Repeater System Hub, which has 3.5mm output ports for the flashers and / or a dedicated 3.5mm Male to 3.5mm Male cable to the device (no stick-on flasher). I connected the Darblet using a 3.5mm Male to 3.5mm Male mono cable, and it worked like a charm.

However, I discovered when the Darblet is plugged into the IR distribution system via the dedicated 3.5mm input on the Darblet, one of my other components does not work. My Denon AVR-4311CI is using a dedicated 3.5mm input for IR signals, and that device does not receive those signals when the Darblet is plugged in. When I unplugged the Darblet's IR input cable, the 4311 worked fine.

The front panel IR receiver on the 4311 works when the Darblet is plugged in, just not the signals from the dedicated 3.5mm input on the back. However, it will pass the IR signals through to the other Denon devices I have connected in series via the 3.5mm IR in and out ports on Denon CI series products.

I have notified Larry of this anomaly, and if this is not fixable, I will just use an IR flasher on the Darblet instead of the 3.5mm port. I am waiting for them to develop a solution for the HDMI color format mismatch (green screen) on the Netgear NeoTV550, and then I will send it in for the Lumagen fix at the same time. Hopefully they can work out the IR input issues as well.

Watched Star Wars IV & V on blu-ray lastnight.
The Darby really brings out the details on the clean shots to the point I probably won't need another "restored" transfer until 4K is out.
I'm still amazed at what this little box of technology can do.

I currently do not use any IR extenders or flashers in my system. However I apparently will need to get something because I want to tuck my Darbee out of sight.

Can I just use an "IR Blaster"? Basically just get the cable with 3.5mm on one end and a tear-drop looking piece on the other? Then just plug it into the Darbee and keep the eye of the blaster where it has a line of sight to my remote? Or can this only be used with an "IR Extender" (not sure what the difference is anyway)?

Also where is the IR receiver exactly on the Darbee itself? I want to try and re-position it for the optimal line of sight to my remote and I'm not sure what side/end of the Darbee the IR receiver is on. Thanks!

I was speaking from my experience with Niles products. I figured since the equipment manfuacturers had all decided on a 3.5mm input, the IR extender manufacturers would have been the same.
Mark

Different manufacturers connect the the tip : ring : sleeve of the 3 conductor 3.5mm plug differently. The Monoprice extender is +voltage : ground : IR signal whereas Xantech uses IR signal : ground : +voltage.
The real question is:
Is the Darby IR input designed to be used with an IR Extender or is it designed to be connected to the IR flasher output of an IR Connecting Block and which manufacturers devices is it compatible with?

After reading all this positive feedback on the performance of the Darbee, this sounds like an exciting and amazing product. However, since I live in Europe, overseas shipping is involved which makes any firmware issues cumbersome to handle. I am therefore interested whether anybody has successfully integrated the Darbee into the chain Oppo93->Marantz AV7005->Sony 95ES (so that the Darbee performs flawlessly).
Thanks for your comments in advance!

I currently do not use any IR extenders or flashers in my system. However I apparently will need to get something because I want to tuck my Darbee out of sight.
Can I just use an "IR Blaster"? Basically just get the cable with 3.5mm on one end and a tear-drop looking piece on the other? Then just plug it into the Darbee and keep the eye of the blaster where it has a line of sight to my remote? Or can this only be used with an "IR Extender" (not sure what the difference is anyway)?
Also where is the IR receiver exactly on the Darbee itself? I want to try and re-position it for the optimal line of sight to my remote and I'm not sure what side/end of the Darbee the IR receiver is on. Thanks!

No. What you are describing is the mini blaster that sends the ir signal from the hub of an ir repeater system. It does not receive signal. You would have to purchase an ir repeater system such as Niles to get what you are wanting. There are other cheaper options though.

Well I'm using the Darbee with an Oppo 93, Marantz SR 7005 (pass through) , & Pioneer Kuro 6020 display with zero issues. I know it's not the exact same as yours but it's pretty close minus the display.

Also where is the IR receiver exactly on the Darbee itself? I want to try and re-position it for the optimal line of sight to my remote and I'm not sure what side/end of the Darbee the IR receiver is on. Thanks!

It's right about where the Red O is in the attached photo....Darbee.jpg 44k .jpg file
The On-line instructions say this about the IR Port: 1 IR Remote Control Extender Input, 3 V which is clear as mud.....

Great, thanks for the photo. I am having an issue with the IR and the Darbee - when watching 3D with my VW95 I have to get within about 3 feet of the Darbee with the remote for it to see the signal. There is no such issue with 2D. It seems the IR signal flooding from the VW95 is overwhelming the Darbee signal. I do not have any issues like this in 3D mode with the remotes of any other equipment. The Darbee remote is very thin and tiny so maybe it does not have quite the same power as a dedicated remote, and therefore its signal cannot make it through the IR from the projector. Just guessing. Tonight I'll try learning the Darbee into my Home Theater Master remote which I presume sends out a more powerful signal, and will see if that helps. I will also try re-positioning the Darbee so that its IR sensor is directly in the line of sight for the remote. Currently it is off by about 90 degrees. Although that is not a permanent solution since I want to tuck the Darbee away behind the equipment once I'm done playing.

Any thoughts on this guys?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pain Infliction

No. What you are describing is the mini blaster that sends the ir signal from the hub of an ir repeater system. It does not receive signal. You would have to purchase an ir repeater system such as Niles to get what you are wanting. There are other cheaper options though.

OK, then then a simple $5 Blaster part won't work then eh. Can anyone recommend a checker extender that will work? I only need it for the Darbee because its the only equipment I'll have tucked away. BTW, if the inputs were in the back and IR sensor was in the front then I could just leave the Darbee sticking out. But as it is now it looks too messy with HDMI cables coming in one side and out the other.

I believe the Marantz uses the Anchor Bay ABT2015 video processor. If there's anyone out there using a source or processor with this chip and has tested, that would help some I'd think, since so far the issues uncovered seem to have been with processing chips than anything else.

Yes the Marantz SR & AV 7005 use the ABT 2015 processor and while I use mine on pass through for Blu-ray the Darbee seems to work just fine with my Tivo Premier and Marantz upscaling to 1080p.

One of my customers called me because he was having what appeared to be hand shaking issues with the Darbee in his system. I asked the customer to describe his system. I found that the customer was using the darbee configured as AVR, short HDMI cable, Darbee, Long HDMI cable and then projector. I asked the customer to move the Darbee to the projector and try it again. This corrected all of his HDMI issues.

One of my customers called me because he was having what appeared to be hand shaking issues with the Darbee in his system. I asked the customer to describe his system. I found that the customer was using the darbee configured as AVR, short HDMI cable, Darbee, Long HDMI cable and then projector. I asked the customer to move the Darbee to the projector and try it again. This corrected all of his HDMI issues.

I am not understanding this? Are you saying he changed the cables and is now AVR - long cable - darbee - short cable - projector?

OK, then then a simple $5 Blaster part won't work then eh. Can anyone recommend a checker extender that will work? I only need it for the Darbee because its the only equipment I'll have tucked away. BTW, if the inputs were in the back and IR sensor was in the front then I could just leave the Darbee sticking out. But as it is now it looks too messy with HDMI cables coming in one side and out the other.

You can try logitech ir repeater. I think it is only 30 or 40 dollars. If you want to eventually hide all your equipment in another room or control your equipment from another room you can always invest in the Niles. That will run you a couple hundred but well worth it .